Article carrier



H. W. FORRER ARTICLE CARRIER April 2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 23, 1961 FIGZ INVENTOR.

HOMER w- FOHRER Mm 44 A TTOR NEY A ril 2, 1963 H. w. FQRRER 3,083,391

ARTICLE CARRIER Filed May '23, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

HOMER W. FORRER ATTORNEY United States Patent OfiC 3,033,891 Patented Apr. 2, 1953 3,883,891 ARTICLE CARRIER Homer W. Forrer, East Point, Ga, assignor to The Mead Corporation, a corporation of ()hio Filed May 23, 1%1, Ser. No. 112,114 3 Claims. (Ci. 229--40) This invention relates to article carriers and more particularly to wrapper-type carriers which are specially constructed to form an article viewing window in one or both side wall panels of the carrier and which utilize the material struck out to form the viewing window as an integral extension of the carrier blank, thereby to effect a substantial economy in the use of the material from which the carrier is formed.

It is well known that successful merchandizing of consumer type articles is largely dependent upon adequately displaying the articles. Where group packaging by means of wrapper-type open ended article carriers is employed, it is usually possible for the prospective purchaser of the packaged articles to obtain a full view only through the open end of the wrapper. Since the ends of the wrapper may not be disposed so as to afford a good view from the vantage point of the prospective purchaser, one of the most effective aspects of merchandizing may be largely inhibited in presently known wrappers.

In some instances it has been the practice to form viewing windows in wrapper side walls and to waste the material cut out to form the Windows.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper-type carrier which affords an adequate view of the articles packaged therein and thereby to aid in merchandizing the packaged articles.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an improved wrapper which is arranged to afford an adequate view of the packaged articles by forming one or more viewing windows in the wrapper side wall and in addition to utilize the material struck out to form the viewing window as an integral part of the wrapper and thereby to effect a substantial economy in the use of the material from which the wrapper is formed.

The invention in one form as applied to a wrappertype article carrier for packaging a group of similar articles comprises a top panel, a pair of side wall panels foldably joined along opposite edges to the top wall panel, at least one auxiliary panel struck out of each of the side wall panels and folded outwardly along a fold line near the bottom of the associated side wall to form a viewing window, each auxiliary panel being folded about the bottom of the package to form a composite bottom wall, and means for securing the auxiliary panels together to form a continuous wrapper for the packaged articles. If desired, only one auxiliary panel may be struck out and the opposite side wall may be constructed in conventional manner.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open ended wrapper type carrier constructed according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the wrapper of FIG. 1 is formed; FIG. 3 is an end view of the wrapper such as is depicted in .FIG. 1 and showing a group of packaged articles therein; FIG. 4 is a plan view in cross-section taken along the line 44 as indicated in FIG. 3 and in which FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the fastening means by which the ends of the wrapper are securely affixed to each other.

With reference to FIG. 2, the numeral 1 generally designates the top panel of the wrapper while the numerals 2 and 3 designate side walls thereof. Top panel 1 is foldably joined to side wall 2 along fold line 4 while top panel 1 is foldably joined to side wall 3 along fold line 5. Fold lines 4 and 5 are respectively interrupted by appropriately configured slots 6-11 which receive the upper edges of the packaged articles and securely grip the articles in known fashion.

For the purpose of enabling the user of the carrier to transport the carrier, a pair of finger tabs 16 and 17 may be struck out of the top panel 1 and foldably joined thereto along fold lines 14 and 15 respectively.

For the purpose of forming a medial separating means between the rows of articles disposed on either side of the carrier a plurality of tabs 18, 19, and 26 may be struck out of top panel 1 and may be arranged so as to be folded inwardly along their respective fold lines 21, 22 and 23.

For the purpose of facilitating the gripping of the bottom edges of the packaged items an article engaging panel 24 is foldably joined along the fold line 25 to the bottom edge of panel 2 and an article receiving slit 26 is formed in known manner along the corner of the package intermediate the ends of panel 24. In like fashion, an article engaging panel 27 is foldably adjoined along fold line 28 to the bottom edge of side wall panel 3 and an article engaging opening 29 is for-med adjacent the corner of the package.

For the purpose of providing article viewing windows in the side panels 2 and 3 and in accordance with the invention, auxiliary panels 30 and 31 are struck out of the side wall 2 and auxiliary panels 32 and 33 are formed in side wall 3. Auxiliary panel 30, for example, is defined by cut lines 34, 35 and 36 and by a fold line 37. Thus once the panel 30 is struck out it may be folded outwardly and around the bottom of the package along fold line 37.

Auxiliary panel 31 is similar to panel 30' and is defined by cut lines 38, 39 and 40 and by fold line 41. Panels 32 and 33 are similarly constructed.

For the purpose of providing means for securing the ends of auxiliary panels 30 and 32 together, a locking tab 42 is struck out of auxiliary panel 36' and is secured thereto along fold line 43. For receiving the locking tab 42 an opening defined by retaining tab 44 is formed in auxiliary panel 32 and joined thereto at fold line 45. When locking tab -42 is forced adjacent the retaining tab 44 and through the opening formed thereby, the ends of auxiliary panels 30 and 32 are secured together. For a further description of the structure and function of the locking and retaining tabs attention is invited to United States Patent 2,786,572 Gentry, assigned to the assignee of this invention. In like fashion panels 3 1 and 33 are adjoined via locking tab 4.6 and retaining tab 47.

For enabling machine elements to grip the auxiliary panels, tightening apertures 45; and 49 are respectively formed in auxiliary panels 32 and 33 and similar tightening apertures 50 and 51 are formed respectively in the auxiliary panels 34 and 31.

Thus as is more fully explained in the above mentioned Patent 2,786,572, the tightening elements of the package forming machine are inserted into the openings 4S and 49 in auxiliary panels 32 and 33 and complementary tightening elements are inserted within elements 5t? and 51 formed within auxiliary panels 30 and 31. These tightening elements move toward each other and thereby tighten the wrapper about its group of packaged items. When the package is sufiiciently tight plungers operated in timed sequence engage the locking tabs 42 and 46 and drive them through the openings de fined by retaining tabs 44 and 47. After the locking tabs are inserted within the openings defined by retaining tabs 44 and 47, they are biased toward locking position therein by the inherent bias of the retaining tabs.

From the above description it will be obvious that by means of the invention the auxiliary panels 3tl3-3 are struck out of their associated side walls to form large article viewing windows. Furthermore it will be obvious that since these struck-out portions form the major part of the composite bottom of the carrier, substantial economies in the use of material from which the blank is formed are effected. As an example, some 20% less material is required to form a Wrapper according to this invention than is required in conventional type carriers.

It is apparent that one side wall such as 2 or 3 could be of conventional construction if desired for advertising purposes or otherwise. Furthermore it is not necessary that two panels such as 30 and 31 be formed in each side wall. For some applications of the invention only one such panel would be needed and for others it might be desirable to use more than two such panels in a single side wall.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An open ended wrapper for packaging a plurality of objects arranged in a group, said wrapper comprising a main wall panel, a pair of side wall panels foldably joined respectively along opposite edges of said main Wall panel, a pair of object engaging panels foldably joined respectively along the edges of said side wall panels remote from the edges thereof which are adjoined to said main wall panel, said object engaging panels being substantially narrower than one-half the width of said main panel, an auxiliary panel struck out of each of said side wall panels and respectively foldably joined thereto near'the edges thereof remote from said main wall panel and adjacent the fold lines between said side wall panels and their associated object engaging panels, said auxiliary panels being transversely foldable outwardly relative to the associated side wall panels to form an object viewing window in each of said side wall panels and to form extension panels for said wrapper, and means for interconnecting said extension panels with each other to form a composite wall opposite from and parallel to said main wall.

2. An open ended wrapper for packaging a plurality of objects arranged in a group, said wrapper comprising a main Wall panel, a pair of side wall panels foldably joined respectively along opposite edges of said main wall panel, a pair of object engaging panels foldably joined respectively to said side wall panels along the edges of said side wall panels remote from the edges thereof which are adjoined to said main wall panel, said object engaging panels being substantially narrower than one-half the width of said main panel, a pair of auxiliary panels struck out of each of said side wall panels and foldably joined'thereto near the edge thereof remote from said main wall panel, said auxiliary panels being transversely foldable outwardly relative to the associated side wall panels and into parallel spaced and generally coincidental relation to said main panel to form a pair of object viewing windows in said side wall panels and to form two pairs of extension panels, and means for securing said extension panels of each pair to the corresponding extension panels of the other pain to form a continuous Wrapper adapted for disposition about a oup of pa ka e j c 3. A generally rectangular wrapper blank for packaging a plurality of objects arranged in a group, said wrapper blank comprising a main wall panel, a pair of side wall panels foldably joined respectively to said main wall panel along opposite edges thereof, a pair of narrow object engaging panels foldably joined respectively to said side wall panels along the edges thereof remote from the edges thereof which are adjoined to said main wall panel, an auxiliary panel struck out of at least one of said side wall panels and foldably joined thereto near the edge thereof remote from said main wall panel and generally parallel with the adjacent end of the blank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,354,098 Bamber July -18, 1944 2,786,572 Gentry Mar. 26, 1957 2,860,824 Guyer Nov. 18 1958 

2. AN OPEN ENDED WRAPPER FOR PACKAGING A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS ARRANGED IN A GROUP, SAID WRAPPER COMPRISING A MAIN WALL PANEL, A PAIR OF SIDE WALL PANELS FOLDABLY JOINED RESPECTIVELY ALONG OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID MAIN WALL PANEL, A PAIR OF OBJECT ENGAGING PANELS FOLDABLY JOINED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID SIDE WALL PANELS ALONG THE EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALL PANELS REMOTE FROM THE EDGES THEREOF WHICH ARE ADJOINED TO SAID MAIN WALL PANEL, SAID OBJECT ENGAGING PANELS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NARROWER THAN ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF SAID MAIN PANEL, A PAIR OF AUXILIARY PANELS STRUCK OUT OF EACH OF SAID SIDE WALL PANELS AND FOLDABLY JOINED THERETO NEAR THE EDGE THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID MAIN WALL PANEL, SAID AUXILIARY PANELS BEING TRANSVERSELY FOLDABLE OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE ASSOCIATED SIDE WALL PANELS AND INTO PARALLEL SPACED AND GENERALLY COINCIDENTAL RELATION TO SAID MAIN PANEL TO FORM A PAIR OF OBJECT VIEWING WINDOWS IN SAID SIDE WALL PANELS AND TO FORM TWO PAIRS OF EXTENSION PANELS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID EXTENSION PANELS OF EACH PAIR TO THE CORRESPONDING EXTENSION PANELS OF THE OTHER PAIR TO FORM A CONTINUOUS WRAPPER ADAPTED FOR DISPOSITION ABOUT A GROUP OF PACKAGED OBJECTS. 